Improvement in roller-skates



UNITED STATES' WASHINGTON Henrico, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. t

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 153.946, dated August 11, 1814; application mea June 15,1874. l t

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WASHINGTON PARKER GREGG, of Boston, in the `county of Suiolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller- Skates; and I do hereby declare that the following is'a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accon`1- panying drawings and to the letters of-reference marked thereon, this speciiication.

In the said drawings, Figure l isa side view of the stock, one of its two outside-driving-wheels, their axle across the stock, one ,of

its two rollers partially under the toe, and one of the two partially under the heel, and `dotted circles X and Z showing outside -wheels of different diameters. Fig. 2 is a Aside view of' the same stock, outside wheel, and axle, one of the two rollers `under the front of the ball, and one of the two partially under the heel, and the samedotted circles X and Z. Fig. 3 is aside view of the same stock, outside wheel, and axle, one of the two rollers under the front of the ball, andone of the two under therear of the front of the heel, and Vthe same dotted' circles X and Z. Fig. et is a bottom view ofthe stock, its two outside wheels, the` axle-holder for the central axle under the stock, the axle-n holders forthe rollers under thestockLtwo rollers partially under the toe, and two under therear of the front of the heel, and spool between the latterp Fig. 5 isa side view of the stock, its side wheelslbeing removed,- its vfront and rear axle-holders, one of its two small. wheels under the frontof -theball,f and onefof its two partially under theheel, an axle-hole abovethe stocklforwone `set of drivers, another through the 4stock for aset less in diameter, and another through the brackets oraxle-holder. under the central part of the stock for a set.` still less in diameter. Fig. 6 is an end View of the stock, its two drivers partially under the heel of the stock, Fig. 7 is` an end view of the stock, itsV axle, and two driving-wheels, with one small spporting# roller `under the toe.` I y My invention consists mainly in having two which form a part. of

' driving-wheels, one on an outeraxleator near the middle ofeach side of thestock, in joombination with four smaller"rollers,'two`under each end'` of the stock or foot-rest, also in having `two removable axles for the rollers un-4 derthe stock, as hereinafter described. t

In my patent ofJuly 25, 1865reissl`1ed Del cember 23, 1873, I employ two driving-wheels outside of the stock, andalso nsethem with one roller partially under the toe and another partially under the heel, as therein set forth.l

Asuseful as lI deem skates made'nnder this patent,yetwhen the "wheels are verylarge and the stocks* verylong I 1 prefer more supportat the lheel and toe,snch as is provided in tliislpresentinvention.` f t In carrying out my present invention, I ar'- range two driving-wheels, A A, one at' ornear the `middle 'of each" side of the stock; B, upon an outer axle, G, extending "across it." I falso arrange on an axle `in anfaxle-holder, D, two

h smaller rollers,`E-E`, partially under4 the toe,

and on an axlein'another axle-holder, F,`tw`o 1suchotherrollersGG, partially under" the heel ofthe stock, and then` nse "said four rollf ers so arrangedin `combination with said two Outside: driving-wheels. When, as sometimes it isdesirable to'.` vary therposition of the rolly ers underthe Stoch, Iwithdraw the rollers E 1 E and their axlejfr'omtheir lposition partially under the toe, -and place their axle with them 1 on it, in a third axle-holder, H, yso that 'saidrolll ers E E shallV be under each side'ofthe front of h the balll Iof the stock, as showngin Fig."2, and l then use said` rollers E with the two other rollers G G1-arranged partially nnderthe heel,

s in t combination with sa-id two drivin g-wheels,

oneat each' side-of the stockyas aforesaid.

t With its wheels-androllers arranged as last described, the stock may -be reversed andjused eitherehd iirst.-A I l. A I p l {llo-'make anothervdesirable variation, Iwithdrawthewrollers-GG and their kaxle from" their position partially under the heel, 'and' place t theiraxle with them-On it in .a fourthaxle ing-wheels' and their axle, and Atwo of its roll- `i holder, \-J,so thatfsaid rollers Gr' G shall loe under each side, c', of what Iterm the rear of 1' the `front ofthe heelu ofthe stock, as shown in Fig. 3, t and then -Iuse the saidV rollerslG G .with the other? two rollers, ',under fea'ch side of-thelrear of the frontof the ball, in combination with said two drivingwheels one at.

as aforesaid, such single roller being shown` in Fig. 7. When placed under the front of the ball and under the rear of the front of the heel, the small roller may be kept by a spool, L, Fig. 4, wider apart than when partially un-y der the toe and heel, and if furnished ywith longer axles may be used outside of the stock, but not in combination with drivers so large as to interfere.

The smallest land largest outside drivingwheels practicable, it will be perceived, can be used with these skates, as their axles may be placed either in the sides of the stock, or below, or above it, according to the diameter of the wheels.

' When desirable, as it often is, to have the axle through the sides of the stock, I make an axle-hole, M, as shown in Fig. 3, to receive the axle, and afx to each of the ends of said axle a driving-wheel, as shown in the dot-ted circle X, less in diameter than the two drivers for the axle across the stock, and then use said lesser driving-wheels in combination with said rollers under the stock at will, in each or any of the positions designated for them, as aforesaid; and when it is desired to have the axle of the outside driving-wheels below the plane of the upper surface of the stock, I make an axle-hole, O, through the axle-holder under the central part of the stock for the axle, affix to each of its ends a drivingwheel, less in diameter, as shown in the dotted circle Z, than the wheel for the axle through the sides of the stock; and then use said third set of drivers, in combination with said rollers under the stock, at will, in each or any of the positions designatedfor them, as aforesaid.

I consider the cheapest to be that with one set of outside drivers, in combination withtwo small rollers partially under the toe and heel ends of the stock, or in the other posivtions under the stock herein designated for them; but I construct some of these skates `with more than one set of two outside drivers for one and the same stock, each set to be used by itself, at will, without the other sets, infcombination with said wheels under the stock in each or any of the positions designated for them, as aforesaid. To do this, I provide two drivin g-Wheels, A A, for the axle extendingacross the stock, two less in diameter, as shown in the dotted circle X, for the axle through the sides of the stock, and two still less in diameter, as shown in the dotted circle Z, forthe axle through the central axleholder under the'stock. Thus, it is seen, that while provision is made for additional support at the ends, as set forth, the skater can avail himself of the advantages of exercising with different .sets of two driving-wheels on one and the same stock, as aforesaid, begin'- ning, for instance, with the two smallest outside drivers, and, after practicing sufficiently with this set, in combination with the rollers under the stock, taking the next set of drivers, and so on.

When several sets of drivers are provided for onestock, a single long axle 1s suflicient for them all, as only two drivers are used at a time, in combination with said rollers under the stock. v Said small rollers may be provided with an axlevfor eachof theiraxle-holders or positions.

I prefer the two movable axles. I likewise prefer that the bearing-surfaces of the driving-wheels should be lower down than those of the other wheels or rollers, the better for turning, and that the riding may be the more on the outside wheels.

Y Said combinations, with the rollers partially under the toe and heel, are intended more for beginners and general wheel skating, the other combinations more as variations for experts and athletes.

, When the exercises are to be confined for any considerable time to the skate, the axle of whose drivers are through the sides, or above the stock, such fixtures as are not necessarily required therewith, may, for the time, be laid aside.

The axle of the drivers, when held in place by a small screw through its washer into the stock, is, on the withdrawal of the screw, readily transferred from one axle-hole to another, when wanted for another set of drivers when there is more than one set for one stock.

The stocks or foot-rests, wheels, axles, and other parts may be of any materials, size, or

description suitable for wheel skating, andv said wheels and lother parts may be fitted to the foot-rest, and fastened on by any convenient means.

What I herein claim for roller-skating purposes is as follows:

1. A skate-stock or foot-rest having one driving-wheel on an outer axle at or near the middle of each side of the stock, and two smaller rollers partially under each end of the stock, substantially as described and shown.

2. A skate-stock or foot-rest having one driving-wheel on an outer axle at or near the middle of each side of the stock, and four smallerrollers, two under each side of the ball, and two partially under the heel of the stock, substantially as described and shown.

3. A skate-stock or foot-rest having one driving-wheel on an outer axle at or near the middle of each side 0f thestock, and four smaller rollers, two under each side of the front of the heel and two under each side of the front of the ball, substantially as described drivingLwheel' on an outer axle at or near the middle of each side of the stock, and one smaller roller under Vthe toe, and two such rollers under the heel of the stock, substaxr' tially as described and shown.

5. vIn a skatefstock or foot-rest havingone driving-wheel on an outer axle at or near the middle of each side of the stock, whether iu combination with -two smaller rollers under each end, or two under the rear and one .`un-' der the front endv of the stock, the outside driving-wheels7 arranged so that the upper portions of their peripheries shall extend above the plane of the lower surface of the stock.

6. In each of the several specified combinations covered by the foregoing claims, the

side wheels attached to the stock in such positions thattheir tread `shall be on a plane lower than that of said smaller rollers.

7. A skate-stock or foot-rest provided with axle-holding devices or brackets for supporting 4the axle of the two outside drivingwheels my own invention I affix my 'signature n presence of two witnesses. Y s

WASHINGTON PARKER Wfitn'esses F. P. HALE, JOHN It. BAKER.'

GEEGG. 

